Secrets of the Rust Sea
by Tolaya
Summary: The Rust Sea has always held mystic, due to the fact that its merciless waters are impossible to travel - until now. A research ship makes the scientific discovery of the vorns on its maiden voyage. A lone female Merefin survives an attack on her flock, but ends up in the clutches of some strange creatures.
1. Chapter 1

Just a little thing i have had on my desktop for a while, dusted it off and polished it a bit last night. Not going to be especially long, but will have multiple chapters. No deep plot, just some idea coming to me for a long while ago. As you will realize it is AU, in a world where The Great War never happens, or a great deal of time before it.

* * *

Thundercracker wakes with a groan feeling completely slagged.

"_Look! It is stirring."_

'What had happened?' she wonders, optic shutters still covering her optics as she dreads the incoming head ache she knows will be there the instant she is unshuttering the protective cover over the optics.

Calmly venting water into her frame to cool it she allows her processor time to catch up, but when the memories finally emerges she can't stop herself from abruptly retract the optic shutters. Bright white light flashes into her optics blinding her in her panic.

"_Contact the Professors. It is awake."_

The leviathans.

Their flock.

The attack.

The waters tainted with the life fluids of her family and herself only barely escaping the slaughter.

Then the fatigue as her wounds drained her, sending her into stasis.

It surprises her that she survived. She should have died from the severe wounds, but she is alive and feeling okay despite a strange soreness in her frame.

"_The sensor pads registers increasing spark pulsing, a bit over what we have registered during its stasis. Internal temperature is at optimal degrees. Vents – if they can be called that – working sufficient, maybe a bit increase, but that might relay to the increase in spark pulsing? Energy reserves are a bit low and - huh – lowering at an increased rate?"_

'Where am I?' She wonders as the initial panic slowly leaves her and she is able to pay attention to her surroundings. The white light still keeps her blind, but she is able to discern weak contours.

The water that surrounds her doesn't feel or taste right when she opens her vents fully and draws in large amounts of water to cool her overheating frame, neither does it energize her as it should and as she is used to. Something is amiss with her surroundings and she doesn't know what.

Slowly blurry shapes begin to form in her periphery as her optics adjusts to the bright light surrounding her. Soon her sight has cleared enough that she realizes that she is staring at some strange creatures who all are staring back at her, gesturing to each other.

_Doors swoosh open and footsteps sounds._

Sound travels sluggishly through the water from her surroundings, but she is unable to understand the language or the signals. Releasing an echolocation, both to communicate her confusion at the situation as well as to recognize her surroundings, Thundercracker's optics widens when it almost instantly returns.

"_Interesting. Non-vocal communication. It uses soundwaves to communicate."_

"_Do we have any scans of its complete structure?"_

"_Here Sir."_

"_Fascinating. Extremely flexible spinal strut. I guess you were right Perceptor."_

"_It was the only way for them to move as they did Wheeljack."_

'What?!' She exclaims in shock. 'How?!'

In rising panic she releases pinging echolocations in all directions and when they return to her she is able to create a map of her current surroundings. To her horror she is only surrounded by water in a distance of 400 meters length, 100 meters width and 100 meters height. It is barely enough water to keep her energized and from panicking due to an ingrained claustrophobia.

With this knowledge she realizes that she is captured, alone, weakened and slowly weakening further with every cycle passing and she enters an all-out panic attack. The next moment she is frantically banging her frame against each surface of the holding tank housing her, trying to somehow escape the confines and get back into the familiar waters of the Rust Sea.

On the other side of the sturdy holding tank a group of scientists are curiously studying the naval animal – a Merefin. They only know the species name due to sparkling tales and until only a few orns ago they thought them to only be that, tales. The discovery of the naval specimen during the first naval fare in the whole of Cybertron's history is the scientific discovery of more than ten thousand vorns and to be able to study the being this closely is a marvel.

* * *

For clarification: The Professors are Perceptor, Wheeljack and Ratchet. The rest of the scientists are Autobots.


	2. Chapter 2

The _Nautoleous_, the first naval research ship to ever be constructed had had her maiden voyage to investigate the depths of the Rust Sea covering most of the western part of Cybertron. The Rust Sea has always held some mystic due to the fact that it up until now has been impossible to travel it, but with the development of new alloys able to withstand the unforgiving high concentrations of acid in the waters they are now able to investigate these unchartered areas of the planet.

Imagine the scientists' surprise when they on the ninth orn stumble across some blurry shapes moving deep down in the waters below the _Nautoleous_. None of the scientists onboard the research ship had ever even thought about the possibility of life living in the waters, because who could possibly hope to withstand the unforgiving elements of the Rust Sea?

Their surprise morphs into shock when the beings suddenly surfaces and shoots up from the waters, elegantly gliding in large arches above the waters, strange winged shapes on each side of the dorsal fin unfolding and keeping them airborne for several long kliks before the beings descends and glides under the surface once again.

The flock of naval animals – Merefins as some among the crew reverently whispers – completely ignores the ship and its passengers as they pass the _Nautoleous_ on their trek towards the southern part of the Rust Sea.

Recovering from the surprise at the sight their initial schedule is canceled and an ecstatic mood fills them as they eagerly activates all scanners and sensors onboard the ship to monitor the animals. Soon numbers are being yelled as they begin to count the numbers of the animals all while the _Nautoleous_ hunts the flock of what ranges to be more than several hundred Merefins.

They follow the large flock for several orns before it happens.

With their attention solely on the Merefins, it is first when several extremely large dorsal fins emerge from the depths of the water a far distance away that they are alerted to the presence of the group of large predators. Every single shape of the creatures still hidden beneath the surface of the water is almost the size of their whole ship. Seeing the dorsal fins the scientists are aware of the danger several kliks before the Merefins senses the danger, but when they do the flock instantly splits up into smaller groups, trying to escape the incoming slaughter by parting in different directions as the large leviathans dives in to attack their prey.

As the Merefins flees in all directions the scientists onboard the _Nautoleous_ are witnesses to the way of nature – prey and predator fighting the fight for survival.

Appalled and feeling impotent at the sight of their scientific discovery either fleeing or being devoured by the large predators all the scientists can do is keep a safe distance and listen to the panicking calling sounds from the Merefins unable to escape the slaughter. The sound is filling the whole area and easily transmits the pain, sorrow and fear they imaging the beings must feel and the sound is going to haunt them all for weeks.

Come morning the Rust Sea shows the traces of the massacre with large pools of sickly green coloring the surface of the usually red waters from all the killed Merefins, but the most depressing fact is that there is no sign of life in miles around them. The Merefins are gone, scared far away and they will not be able to locate them again.

Accepting that their quest to find out where the Merefins was heading has met a wall, the _Nautoleous_ prepares to return home to Iacon, but after several cycles they by fortunate circumstances comes across a struggling life form, a Merefin. The naval animal is bleeding from several wounds and in stasis, alive but slowly dying.

Expecting this to be their only chance to study the specie closer and learn more about these strange animals, they lower equipment into the water and fits contraptions around the slack frame. The Merefin's sleek frame is lifted from the water as gently as possible, vital fluids still flowing from the several deep wounds and coating the deck of the research ship in its dark green coloration.

Medical kits are put down beside the marvelous frame and the repair of the largest wounds begins.

Ragged venting sounds from the being and the flared vents – looking nothing like their own – clearly fights to cool the frame. As they work on the sleek frame sporting several fins along its compact length as well as small wing nubs on each side of its dorsal fin and a powerful tail, the Merefin begins to tremble violently and a scan shows the dangerous rise of the animal's internal temperature.

The long elongated pointy mouth pants wildly, showing long sets of flat dentas while the optics is locked away behind heavy optics shutters. Carefully retracting one of the protective shutters manually the scientists are greeted by the sight of an unseeing green optic shining efflorescing. When they turn the frame to treat all the injuries they realize that the rest of the frame sports the same efflorescing effect, probably as a way of camouflaging it from predators. The color of the frame shifts minutely as they move it, going from a light blue to a darker shade or completely white depending on which way they moves the frame.

Their fascination is abruptly broken when the Merefin with a final violent jerk completely stops venting. The green in the optic slowly turns grey as the frame begins to deteriorate. Grey begins to creep along the frame and it spurs them into action. The animal's almost dry frame is splashed with freshwater from the ship's reservoir and the small drops causes a whole color scheme to play on the dying frame.

The water isn't enough and the grey covers now almost half of the frame.

As the deathly grey keeps expanding along the Merefin's frame, the scientists fight to come up with a reason and a solution as to what is wrong with the animal. When they realize that the Merefins must use the acid in the water they lives in to energize their frames, they move it over into one of the basins onboard the ship able to handle the acidic waters. The acid reacts with receptors along the Merefin's skin and creates small surges of power to keep it functioning in the harsh environment of the Rust Sea, and as the ocean water begins to splash into the basin and surround the animal they all watches as color slowly begins to return to the Merefin, while it begins to vent again and the internal temperature lowers when the cool water is drawn into its frame.

With the crisis over the _Nautoleous_ sets its course towards the scientific facility in Iacon, precious cargo sedated, secured and monitored during the long travel home.


	3. Chapter 3

Last of the completed chapter who just needed a touch up. I don't know when chapter 4 will be out, but i hope you like it so far.

* * *

Thundercracker keeps panicking for almost a cycle, but then her reserves dwindles, the water unable to replenish her fast enough with how much energy she uses in her rapid movements. After a while she simply gives up and hangs dejectedly in the center of the holding tank, venting heavily.

One of the strange creatures walks up to her and she stares tiredly as the being touches something to the surface of her captivity, moving it in calm lazy patterns, as if trying to reassure her.

"_What else have we found out about it?"_

"_We are still testing the fluids running in its lines. All we know so far is that it isn't energon."_

"_Interesting. What else?"_

"_We still haven't determined its gender."_

As more and more of her energy leaves her she slowly descends to lie on the bottom, vents wide open and systems fighting to keep a habitual amount of energy. The optics shutters slowly covers her optics and the next moment she enters stasis.

"_Replenish the water in the tank. Add 2% more ocean water and let's see if that is enough to keep it awake."_

"_Wait with filling the tank again; I need a sample of its skin. Might as well take it while the water levels are low and it is in stasis."_

* * *

During the next vorn of her life, Thundercracker enters a routine. The creatures gets better to determine the amount of acid water she needs to keep a habitual life and she wakes up in the morning when they enter her surroundings. During cycles she is being studied closely, put through tests or forced into stasis when samples need to be taken or her water needs to be replenished. It is stressful and not a few times does she enter panic from the fear or pain she feels.

The nightmare becomes a frustrating routine and slowly she forgets the feeling of the unending Rust Sea. Freedom is becoming a foreign concept and she accepts her new life in the small holding tank, even if it is far from a happy life.

Then one orn a lot of noise enters her surroundings and curiously she studies the new strange creatures entering her surroundings. Another holding tank is being built beside hers and she watches the work interested.

In the following orns there is a lot of activity around her and she is mainly being left alone while she senses eagerness from the creatures studying her. A few orns later she learns what has them this giddy.

A male is introduced to the tank beside her own.

For the first time in a vorn she stares at one of her own kind and she longs to be able to touch and grind her frame against something this familiar. She bumps her head against the barrier separating their holding tanks and flutters her wing nubs happily at the black male on the other side of it.

"_Look. Watch what she is doing!"_

"_Have you alerted the Professors to its arrival?"_

"_Not yet."_

"_Do it now. She hasn't been this alive since we took her in. This is going to be interesting."_

The surface of the captivity distorts her sight of the male, but she can see his dark color change into a beautiful dark efflorescing purple when he moves around to study his surroundings. He is fairly larger than her, the movements of his tail lazily bringing him from one end of his holding tank to the other.

She wonders why he isn't panicking like she did, while she curiously watches him calmly study the surroundings until his optics finds her. Then he is at her instantly, almost grinding his large frame against the surface of the captivity to get to her. He releases a wide range of echolocations and his optics eagerly follows the line of her frame and it is then she realizes why he is this complacent in his captivity.

It is mating season.

All that he has on his mind right now is to find a female from another flock and mate with her, creating family.

_Doors swoosh open and footsteps sounds._

"_Come and take a look at this Ratchet. With the way they interact it has to be a male we managed to catch. She is definitely more alive and he reacted to her the instant he saw her."_

"_That is good Skyfire. I had begun to worry for her. She has been so withdrawn recently."_

When the male the next moment begins a beautiful lyrical song meant to sway her to him and allow him to claim her, she feels how she on instinct reacts to the flow of echolocations and unable to stop herself, she begins to move to the song.

He keeps singing while he on the other side of their captivity begins to mirror her dance. Each time he returns to the surface keeping them apart he grinds his large phallus against it, small amounts of his CNA being released at each touch, the bluish fluid spreading in the water surrounding him.

Unable to keep silent she begins to sing back to him while she uses the whole holding tank to display her interest in him.

"_Take a sample of his water next time we replenish it, I want to know what it is he is releasing."_

"_Yes Sir."_

"_I must say, Wheeljack, it was a good idea to press for them to give the male to us instead of shipping it to Praxus for further study. This does her good."_

"_Of course we were to get him. Our poor lonely female missed something familiar. Just see how they react to each other. She is so happy. I haven't heard her vocalize this much before and listen to her song, it is so beautiful."_

Too caught up in her display and song to the male, Thundercracker is taken by surprise when one of the strange creatures suddenly is leaning in against her captivity and silencing her song, she stares fearful at the flashing things at each side of the beings head.

"_It is okay. Calm down. Just return to your beautiful singing."_

With a frightened echolocation she flees the strange creature, leaving the male alone. Retreating, she curls into a low corner where she hides herself, while the male in anger bangs against the surface of his captivity, intent on getting to whatever has frightened his, in his mind, claimed female.

The male pushes his frame so hard, as he with more and more force bangs against the surface, that he uses up what energy the water can provide him within a cycle, and when he falls into stasis she watches the water in his holding tank being drained. It is a peculiar sight and it frightens her.

Is he going to be okay?

Slowly she emerges from her hiding and warily swims to the forefront of her captivity, staring worriedly at the male as he floats lifelessly in the other tank.

"_Add 4% more ocean water to his tank. We don't need him to run himself low this fast."_

"_Sample of the water has been taken. Tests show a large amount of hormones related to creation cycles."_

"_Interesting. What do you think Perceptor? Should we allow them together to study their reproduction cycle as well?"_

"_Are you sure she is ready for that Ratchet?"_

"_She is an adult of her specie; in her normal element she would probably already have a mate."_

"_I must say, it could be educating to follow their reproduction cycle."_

"_Just, let me try something before we decide."_

Thundercracker warily follows one of the strange creatures with her optics as it slowly walks up to her captivity. Curious she watches it as it begins to move up along the surface and to the top of her holding tank. Drawn to investigate, she swims to the surface of the water and turns to lie on her side to stare up into the small hatch at the top.

The strange creature walks unsteadily at the roof of the holding tank and when the hatch opens water is dumped into her tank. Her reaction is instantaneous, the heavy dose of the male's CNA and hormones triggering an internal temperature rise in her frame while the seal into her mating channel unlocks. With a growing urge to mate, she playfully soaks in the heavy scent of the male and releases her own hormones to signal to the male that she is ready for him. But of course he doesn't sense anything; he is still in stasis in the other tank.

"_I think we have our answer."_

"_I agree with you Ratchet. Let's see what happens when we allow him into her when he wakes."_

"_I guess you are right Ratch. She is definitely ready."_

The water in the male's tank is replenished and when he wakes from stasis he resumes singing to her. Thundercracker mirrors him this time when he grinds at the surface and her movements urge him into frenzy.

Her frame runs hot and the male is right there, but they can't touch or get on with the last part of the courting.

When the surface separating them suddenly retracts and the water from the two tanks mixes, mixing the high concentrations of their combined hormones, she is almost overcome by all the signals. He is at her the instant the gape is large enough for him to pass and he eagerly grinds against her.

'Skywarp' He communicates to her followed by the identification of the flock he belongs to.

'Thundercracker' But she hesitates in telling him her flock. She has been separated from them for so long that it is so hard for her to remember.

'Mine?' He enquires, circling her, waiting for her final approval of his impressive being. Now and then he grinds his frame against hers and eagerly entwines their frames until his phallus almost insistently rubs against her seal.

'Yours' She confirms and her seal unlocks completely at the next push of his phallus, allowing it to enter her.

A powerful stroke of his tail and his phallus is sheathed fully inside her. He begins a rhythm of retreating and then with a stroke of his tail reentering her, and she can feel the micro orgasms wreaking through his frame, releasing more and more of his CNA inside her with each shallow thrust into her.

Finally, with a last harsh thrust into her the phallus expands and locks them together before Skywarp climaxes and release copious amounts of his CNA inside her, filling her gestation chamber.

'Are you okay?' He gently asks her when the tremors in his frame from the release of his coding slowly calms, nudging affectionately at her with his head.

'Yes' She pants, feeling how her gestation chamber distends to accommodate the large amount of his coding. It doesn't hurt, but isn't pleasurable either.

It takes almost ten breems before the lock releases them and when Skywarp moves out of her, green vital fluids spills into their surroundings from inside her, together with the excess amounts of his CNA.

He circles her and bumps his pointy mouth against her seal, a long glossa emerging and he gently licks the entry point into her frame, tasting his own coding filling her. She whimpers at the sensation of his rough glossa against her swollen seal and each time she tries to get away he insistently follows.

Pleasure builds inside her at his treatment and she climaxes, the orgasm wreaking havoc in her frame. The contractions in her frame locks up her mating channel and seal the CNA firmly inside her to be used to create and nurture their first offspring.

'Mine' Skywarp communicates with possessive intonations and he stops pestering her and instead shadows her with his larger frame, protecting her from possible dangers in their surroundings.

"_Do we have a scanner?"_

"_Here Sir."_

"_I must say, that was interesting. I wonder how many they carry at a time."_

"_I am more interested in seeing how long it takes for them to reproduce."_

One of the strange creatures moves up to their captivity and, bristling with protective aggression Skywarp shields her from view with his frame.

"_He clearly doesn't want us near her."_

"_I got it. One embryo in her gestation chamber, which means she is going to carry one young."_

"_It might be an idea to replenish some of their water? We don't know what this is going to mean for her energy need. It would be sad if she were to abort it due to lack of energy."_

"_You are right Ratchet. We can close of the male's tank and replenish it while they are relaxing inside hers."_


End file.
